---
title: Localhost
description: Use a localhost server in production apps.
plugin: localhost
---

import PluginLinks from '@components/PluginLinks.astro';
import Compatibility from '@components/plugins/Compatibility.astro';

import { Tabs, TabItem, Steps } from '@astrojs/starlight/components';
import CommandTabs from '@components/CommandTabs.astro';

<PluginLinks plugin={frontmatter.plugin} showJsLinks={false} />

Expose your app's assets through a localhost server instead of the default custom protocol.

:::caution
This plugin brings considerable security risks and you should only use it if you know what you are doing. If in doubt, use the default custom protocol implementation.
:::

## Supported Platforms

<Compatibility plugin={frontmatter.plugin} />

## Setup

Install the localhost plugin to get started.

<Tabs>
    <TabItem label="Automatic">

        Use your project's package manager to add the dependency:

        <CommandTabs npm="npm run tauri add localhost"
        yarn="yarn run tauri add localhost"
        pnpm="pnpm tauri add localhost"
        bun="bun tauri add localhost"
        cargo="cargo tauri add localhost" />

    </TabItem>
    <TabItem label="Manual">

        <Steps>

        1.  Run the following command in the `src-tauri` folder to add the plugin to the project's dependencies in `Cargo.toml`:

            ```sh frame=none
            cargo add tauri-plugin-localhost
            ```

        2.  Modify `lib.rs` to initialize the plugin:

            ```rust title="src-tauri/src/lib.rs" ins={4}
            #[cfg_attr(mobile, tauri::mobile_entry_point)]
            pub fn run() {
                tauri::Builder::default()
                    .plugin(tauri_plugin_localhost::Builder::new().build())
                    .run(tauri::generate_context!())
                    .expect("error while running tauri application");
            }
            ```

        </Steps>

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Usage

The localhost plugin is available in Rust.

```rust title="src-tauri/src/lib.rs" {4} {7-14}
use tauri::{webview::WebviewWindowBuilder, WebviewUrl};

pub fn run() {
  let port: u16 = 9527;

  tauri::Builder::default()
      .plugin(tauri_plugin_localhost::Builder::new(port).build())
      .setup(move |app| {
          let url = format!("http://localhost:{}", port).parse().unwrap();
          WebviewWindowBuilder::new(app, "main".to_string(), WebviewUrl::External(url))
              .title("Localhost Example")
              .build()?;
          Ok(())
      })
      .run(tauri::generate_context!())
      .expect("error while running tauri application");
}
```
